1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a banding method and apparatus and more particularly to a more efficient and faster banding method and a simple and reliable apparatus for performing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Certain products are banded together for marketing or other reasons. For example, metal fence posts are traditionally marketed in groups of five. A standard method for banding such fence posts consists of having the fence posts move along a conveyor line until they are positioned between two strapping units. The conveyor line stops temporarily at which time the strapping units move inwardly to the banding locations and bands are applied. After the banding operation, the strapping units move in a reverse direction away from the banded fence posts so as not to impede the conveyor line.
Another earlier banding operation required two operators to remove a group of posts hanging in a vertical disposition and place each group in front of a banding machine. The bands were applied and the banded posts were then transferred to an outgoing conveyor by the operators.
Such banding operations required substantial labor, both in time and in physical movement. The first mentioned process took too much time and thus, slowed a production process of which the banding operation was a part. The second mentioned operation is too labor intensive.